The Toronto Maple Leafs made a couple of big signings yesterday by adding two former Swedish Hockey League players to their roster.
Calle Rosen and Andreas Borgman were both overlooked in their draft years, but quickly made an impact playing in the Swedish league. Rosen, a 23-year-old defenseman who played for Vaxjo, recorded six goals and 13 assists in 41 games played last season. Borgman, on the other hand, picked up 5 goals and 10 assists in 45 games for HV71. His achievements were enough to earn the Rookie of the Year award.
“They’ll get every opportunity, they have the ability,” Leafs general manager Lou Lamoriello said. “Whether it’s right away, or whether it’s in a month, we’ll have to wait and see. No pressure on anyone. We’re delighted they’ve chosen us, they were highly recruited.”
Both players are signed to entry level contracts and will hope to make an impact right away. However, neither one fits the role of a right shooting defenseman that are so highly coveted in the NHL today. Despite that, after free agency and the expansion draft, there will likely be holes to fill on the blue line and Rosen and Borgman will be prime candidates to do so.
“It adds to our depth,” Lamoriello added. “They’re young, they have experience.”
